The X Factor (UK series 15)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The fifteenth series began airing on ITV on 1 September 2018, presented by Dermot O'Leary. Simon Cowell returned alongside new judges Louis Tomlinson, Ayda Field (credited as Ayda Williams) and Robbie Williams who replace departing judges Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh. Nile Rodgers filled in for Williams while he was away on his tour for weeks 3–5 of the live shows. On 2 December, Qatari-born singer James Harrison won the series making him the first foreign contender to win the UK show. This was the only series that featured Field, Williams, and Tomlinson as judges. Finalists Live shows 'Week 1 (20/21 October)' *Theme: This is Me *Musical guests: Keala Settle ("This Is Me") and Rak-Su ("I Want You to Freak")24 This week's results show featured a double elimination. The three acts with the fewest votes were announced as the bottom three, and the act out of the three with the fewest public votes was then automatically eliminated. The remaining two acts then performed in the final showdown for the judges' votes. ;Judges' votes to eliminate * Field: Armstrong Martins – backed her own act, Janice Robinson, saying she deserves to be in the competition. * Tomlinson: Janice Robinson – backed his own act, Armstrong Martins. * Williams: Armstrong Martins – gave no reason. * Cowell: Armstrong Martins – said that despite Martins being more interesting, Robinson was the better singer. 'Week 2 (27/28 October)' * Theme: Guilty Pleasures * Musical guests: Little Mix ("Woman Like Me") and Kylie Minogue ("A Lifetime to Repair") This week's results show featured a double elimination. Lines were frozen on Sunday at 7:30pm, 30 minutes before the results show, and Janice Robinson was eliminated after the special guest performance from Little Mix after receiving the fewest votes. Lines then reopened and the two acts with the next fewest votes then performed in the sing-off. ;Judges' votes to eliminate * Williams: Brendan Murray – backed his own act, LMA Choir. * Tomlinson: LMA Choir – backed his own act, Brendan Murray. * Cowell: Brendan Murray – gave no reason. * Field: LMA Choir – could not decide so chose to take it to deadlock. With the acts in the sing-off receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. LMA Choir were eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes. 'Week 3 (3/4 November)' * Theme: Fright Night * Musical guests: James Arthur ("Empty Space") and Jonas Blue, Liam Payne & Lennon Stella ("Polaroid") The live show was pre-recorded during Saturday afternoon to allow Williams to be present before flying to South America for touring commitments. Nile Rodgers appeared as a guest judge, filling in for Williams during the third results show and the fourth & fifth live shows and results shows. This week's results show featured a double elimination. Lines were originally scheduled to be frozen on Sunday at 7:30pm, 60 minutes before the results show, the act receiving the fewest votes leaving the competition at the beginning of the show before lines would reopen and the two acts with the next fewest votes would then perform in the sing-off. However, due to a technical issue that affected the sound during Danny Tetley and Anthony Russell's performances, Saturday’s public vote was cancelled and lines instead opened in the results show on Sunday. At the start of the live results show, all of the performances were shown in full before the public vote opened for 14 minutes. ;Judges' votes to eliminate * Rodgers: Molly Scott – based on the sing-off performances, effectively backing Williams' own act, Acacia & Aaliyah. * Cowell: Acacia & Aaliyah – backed his own act, Molly Scott. * Field: Molly Scott – based on the sing-off performances. * Tomlinson: Molly Scott – said both acts have potential but he was not sure Scott was "quite there yet". 'Week 4 (10/11 November)' * Theme: "Movies" (songs from films) * Musical guests: Michael Bublé ("When I Fall in Love") and Olly Murs featuring Lady Leshurr ("Moves") This week's results show featured a double elimination. Lines were frozen on Sunday at 7:30pm, 60 minutes before the results show, and Misunderstood were eliminated after the special guest performance from Bublé after receiving the fewest votes. Lines then reopened and the two acts with the next fewest votes then performed in the sing-off. ;Judges' votes to eliminate * Rodgers: Giovanni Spano – backed Williams' own act, Acacia & Aaliyah. * Field: Acacia & Aaliyah – backed her own act, Giovanni Spano, saying he brought fun and vital entertainment to the competition. * Tomlinson: Giovanni Spano – believed Acacia & Aaliyah had a future as recording artists while Spano had more of a future in musical theatre. * Cowell: Giovanni Spano – gave no specific reason but praised both acts' sing-off performances. 'Week 5: Quarter-final (17/18 November)' * Theme: Big Band * Musical guests: Tom Walker ("Leave a Light On") and Cheryl ("Love Made Me Do It") This week's results show featured a double elimination. Lines were frozen on Sunday at 7:30pm, 30 minutes before the results show, and Bella Penfold was eliminated immediately at the beginning of the show. Once that occurred, lines reopened for a few more minutes and the two acts with the next fewest votes performed in the sing off. During the results show, Cowell originally told the acts that the final six would go on The X Factor Live Tour in 2019. After the elimination of Shan Ako, Cowell stated that he would allow both her and Penfold to join the final six on tour as well. His statement meant that the final eight would perform on the tour rather than the final six. ;Judges' votes to eliminate * Cowell: Acacia & Aaliyah – backed his own act, Shan Ako. * Rodgers: Shan Ako – backed Williams' own act, Acacia & Aaliyah. * Tomlinson: Acacia & Aaliyah – based on "vocal ability" without being led by his emotions. * Field: Shan Ako – praised both acts' sing-off performances but could not decide and sent the result to deadlock. With the acts in the sing-off receiving two votes each, the result went to deadlock and reverted to the earlier public vote. Shan Ako was eliminated as the act with the fewest public votes. 'Week 6: Semi-Final (24/25 November)' ;24 November *Theme: Get Me to the Final (Part I) & Mamma Mia This week's semi-final featured a triple elimination. During Saturday's show, the lines froze where the two acts with the fewest votes were immediately eliminated. They then re-opened and closed during Sunday's results show ahead of the final sing-off of the series. In addition, following all of the act's first performance during Saturday's show, each act performed a segment from an ABBA song where Björn Ulvaeus joined the judging panel for the performances. ;25 November * Theme: Get Me to the Final (Part II) * Musical guests: Zara Larsson ("Ruin My Life") ;Judges' votes to send through to the final * Cowell: Scarlett Lee – based on the sing-off performances, and said he would have made the same choice even if Scarlett Lee was not his own act; he said without her, the final would not be the same. * Williams: Acacia & Aaliyah – backed his own act, Acacia & Aaliyah. * Field: Scarlett Lee – based on the sing-off performances. * Tomlinson: Scarlett Lee – based on the vocals only in the sing-off performances. 'Week 7: Final (1/2 December)' ;1 December *Theme: No theme; Celebrity duets *Group Performance: "Let Me Entertain You"/"Rock DJ"/"Freedom" (Final 10 with Robbie Williams) *Musical guests: James Arthur & Anne-Marie ("Rewrite the Stars") and George Ezra ("Shotgun") ;2 December *Theme: Winners duets *Musical guests: Pinkfong ("Baby Shark"), Ellie Goulding ("Close To Me"), Nile Rodgers & Chic ("Le Freak"/"'Till The World Falls"/"We Are Family"/"I Want Your Love"/"Do You Wanna Party"/"Good Times"/"Rapper's Delight" with Acacia & Aaliyah and Misunderstood) and Take That ("Shine"/"Everything Changes" with Robbie Williams)